Egg carton



\ Jan.` 11, 1938. A. E. BuEscl-IEL EGG CARTON Filled nec. 27, 1932 Patenteddan. 11,- 1938 4 EGG CARTON Andrew E. Bueschel, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to

Consolidated Carton,

Inc., Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Application December 27, 1932, Serial No. 648,973

2 Claims.

'I 'his invention relates to cartons or containers, the construction and arrangement characterizing the present invention being particularly wellA vadapted for use in cartons intended for the packaging and handling of eggs or similar articles.

One object of the present invention is to provide novel cushioning means for eggs or other articles contained within the carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel construction and arrangement whereby certain portions of the carton structure are maintained in desired position, and secured against accidental displacement with respect to other portions of the carton.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means for supporting a portion of the bottom of the carton. u

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the contents of the carton may be readily and conveniently removed.

A still further object of the invention is to improve devices of the characterdescribed in sundry details hereinafter referred to and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

One embodimentof the present invention is shown for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawing, in which as .provided with longitudinally extending oppositely inclined portions II and I2 forming, in` effect, a longitudinally extending elevated ridge I3 adjacent the central portion of the bottom 5 and positioned above the thereof. Y

For supporting the `ridge or central portion I3 of the bottom 5 above the outer edge portions thereof, the transverse partiti ons 9, in the present instance, are provided with notches gitudinal partition I5 in a, manner to position the partition I5 laterally of the carton, while the longitudinal partition I5 is provided with a plurality o`f spaced indentations I6 formed in its lower edge 15 aadjacent its extreme lower edge with supporting Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an carton showing the top or cover member broken away at one of its end portions in "a manner to more clearly illustrate certain features characterizing the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the -structure'illustrated in Fig. l withV` the top removed, the view being taken substantially'as indicated by the line 2 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional elevation taken substantially as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figs. 2 and 4; and

Fig. 4 is an end view of the structure illustrated i.n1i'igs.1.2and3. y

The illustrative embodiment of the present invention comprises a carton formed preferably of resilient exible material such, for example, as cardboard or the like, and having a bottom portion indicated as a whole by the numeral 5 and having side Walls 6 and 1, and a top or cover member 8, all formed preferably of a single sheet of material, and having transversely extending partitions 9 connected adjacent their end portions to the side walls 6 and l, the side walls being shown,

'in the present instance, as formed integrally with the material from which the bottom 5, side walls 6 and Landtop or cover member 8 are formed.

A Ellie botto'r, in the present instance, is shownportions or members I1 adapted to extend ldownwardly through longitudinally' disposed and longitudinally spaced apertures I8 formed in the bot-` tom 5 adjacent the central or ridge portion thereof and extending laterally therefrom at opposite sides of the ridge I3, the supporting member Il extending downwardly to substantially the plane of the outer edges of the bottom portion, and being provided with hook-like portions I9 adapted to be positioned beneath the ridge or central portion I3 of the bottom 5 the central portion of the edges thereof. Y

For maintaining the supporting members Il against longitudinal movement with respect to the apertures I8 are in bottom supporting position as shown in Fig. 3, and for maintaining the hook-like portions beneath vthe bottom 5, resilient means shown, in the present instance, as a pair of tabs 2| are bottom above the outer formed integrally with the bottom I5 adjacent one 45 be engageable with an adjacent'edge portion of 50 I'I when the. latter are positioned in the apertures Illand the portions lthe supporting members I9 are'beneath the bottom 5 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. It will be apparent from an examination of Fig. 3 that the overall or total width of the outer edge portions ,3

I4 adjacent 10 their central portions adapted to receive a lonin a manner to support 35 When the hook-like portions I9 40 supporting members I'I and hook-like portions I9 is substantially greater than the length of the open portion of the aperture I8, and that when inserting these members and portions I9 in the apertures, the tabs 2I will be bent downwardly, and after the hook-like portions I9 have been positioned beneath the ridge I3 of the bottom 5 as shown in Fig. 3, the tabs 2|, owing to the resiliency of the material from which they are formed, will assume their original position with their free ends closely adjacent each other as shown in Fig. 2 in a manner to be engaged by the adjacent edge portions of the supporting members I1 to prevent longitudinal movement of the members I'I in the apertures I8, and thereby prevent displacement of the hook-like portions I9 from beneath the ridge I3 formed in the bottom 5 of the carton. Y

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the transverse partitions 9 and the longitudinal partition I5 provide compartments for the reception of eggs or other articles and that the oppositely inclined portions II and I2 of the bottom 5 provide a resilient support for the eggs in a plane spaced from the plane of the outer edge portions of the bottom on which the carton rests, thereby protecting the contents against damage from below, and by reason of the supporting members I1 extending downwardly to substantially the plane of the outer edges of the bottom 5, and the upper edge of the partition I5 being engageable with the central portion of the` top 8, adequate and eiicient structure is provided for protection against damage to the contents from the upper side of the carton.

It will be observed also that when the carton is lifted, the hook-like portions I9 serve as an eiiicient support for the central portion of the bottom 5 to prevent sagging thereof under the weight of the contents, the longitudinal partition I5 on which the portions I9 are formed being suspended from the transverse partitions 9 secured adjacent their ends to the side walls 6 and 1, respectively.

Formed in the upper edges of the transverse partitions 9 are a plurality of finger recesses 22 to facilitate the grasping of an egg, 0r the like, in removing it from the carton. The partitions 9 are also provided in their lower edge portions with nger recesses 23 through which one's nger may be inserted in a manner to lift an egg, or the like, in an adjacent compartment in a manner to facilitate its removal therefrom.

If desired, the bottom 5 beneath the compartments formed by the transverse partitions 9 and longitudinal partition I5 may be provided with transverse slits 24 to providev yieldable supports 25, which may be lbent downwardly to assist in positioning the egg laterally in the compartment and provide additional resiliency in its support.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the present invention provides novel cushioning means and protection for the contents of the carton by reason of thelncllned portions II and I2 of the bottom 5, and that novel supporting means are provided for the ridge or central portion I3 of the bottom when the carton is lifted, also that novel means are provided for maintaining certain portions of the carton. in desired position and against accidental displacevment with respect to other portions thereof, and

that novel means are provided for facilitating the removal of the contents from the carton. f

Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described as the same may be variously modied. -Moreover, all the features of the invention need not be used conjointly as the same may be used to advantage in variously different combinations and sub-combinations.

What I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is:

1. A carton having front and rear walls, a bottom member joining said walls, said bottom member having longitudinal slots along its middle portion, a vertical central longitudinal partition positioned above said slots, said partition being provided with downwardly extending hook-like tongues insertable through said slots to hook under the bottom, the bottom wall having a portion located adjacent at least one of said slots on that end opposite the hook, said portion constituting means in the form of two opposing tabs extending transversely to the slot, said means being operative to resist longitudinal movement of the vertical partition in one direction ftiter the tongues have been inserted through the slots.

2. In an arrangement for locking two pieces of sheet material together at an angle to each other, one piece having an elongated slot therein and provided with two opposing tabs formed in said piece to define one end of said slot, and the second piece having a tongue with a lateral notch therein, -said tongue at one portion thereof having a width greater than the length of said slot and having a width at said notch slightly less than the length of said slot.

ANDREW E. BUESCHEL. 

